Sandy’s retirement today – a reminiscence and tribute.

I vividly remember the first time I interacted with Sandy. I am not sure if she remembers it.  It was a cold and windy December day many winters ago in Delhi. At around 7 PM that evening, I was arranging the papers I had to take with me the next day to the US embassy for my business visa interview when I realized that one of the documents required – “ a letter of invite” – was missing from the package. I immediately called our local HR asking if they could get me one, and for some reason, they responded that it wasn’t necessary in this case. I wasn’t convinced and checked with a senior manager, who categorically negated the advice given earlier. He directed me to write to Sandy requesting the document. It was getting late in the day for me and I asked him“ Do you think you get it on time for the interview?”. His instant response was: “ you will get the invite in ten minutes”.  I wrote the email to Sandy as directed, and true to his words, I  received the invite in my inbox within twenty minutes with a simple “all the best “in the body of the message. A wave of admiration for Sandy swept through me that day, and that admiration and respect have remained unabated all these years.

Sandy has been a pillar of strength of NIIT USA since 2000. Her dedicated contribution to the HR space is instrumental in shaping the company into what it is today. NIIT is all about people. Unlike other organizations, where HR is a regular function among many others, at NIIT, it is not so and has never been so.  We don’t view employees just as billable resources, but embrace them as valued individuals who come from diverse backgrounds, and accept them as members of a larger NIIT family. This sense of camaraderie and bonding is the cornerstone of working at NIIT.  In such a milieu, the function of HR becomes a juggling act, an eclectic mix of art and science. While it requires that all the necessary guard rails, scaffoldings, policies, and rules of an HR function be in place; at the same time, those very rules and regulations shouldn’t become a stranglehold on people, their sense of belonging or well-being.  Sandy worked to achieve this tenuous balance when she took over the HR function after NIIT technologies split from the parent company; and to a large extent, during her tenure for close to two decades as HR Head, she managed to maintain that harmonious balance between enforcing rules and exercising empathy, that has helped keep employees happy in their personal lives and equally satisfied at work. A rare achievement in the field of HR. And it is important to note that during this period, the company has grown in size, expanded its aspirations, and enlarged its vision, and Sandy’s role in scaling HR operations is significant.

Often leaders refer to Sandy as the “mother” of NIITians in the USA. I think that honor fits her well. She was indeed a motherly figure to many of us, ever present to listen, provide sage counsel when necessary, and sometimes, chastise us with a firm hand, as a mother would and should. It came naturally to her, and therefore her words and actions rang true, without a trace of affectation. Even when Sandy was annoyed over something, it wouldn’t last long; her anger was like the flicker of a candle flame, momentary, and before we knew it, she would regain her steady state. It was a great trait in her that she never carried any argument or dissent for too long. She spoke her mind without reservation when needed, and when a consensus was needed to move forward she would dial down her reservations if such a course of action was in the best interests of the company and its employees.   

I can listen all day to Sandy’s quintessentially southern diction. The lilt, the drawl, the monophthongs, the nasalization, and of course the lilt of it all have a musical quality to them.  Conversations with her often reminded me of dialogues from the stories of Margaret Mitchell, Flannery ‘o Connor,  Styron, and Faulkner.  So beautiful and crisp. On the other hand, I have often wondered how she coped with listening to tortured Indian dictions day in and day out.  It must have been a heavy strain on her ears accommodating the strange intonations, idiomatic expressions, and language-switching that happens when we got together for informal conversations in the aisles and break rooms of our offices. But she never showed it. She observed, learned, and over time assimilated the differences. Sandy’s thrust and emphasis on DEI were critical in transforming NIIT USA into a global workplace. The initiatives she put in motion to foster the spirit of DEI have gathered momentum over the years, and are now integral practices within the organization.

Many of us knew that Sandy was contemplating retirement soon. However, as is always the case with chronological time, we never realize how quickly that day could arrive. And when it does, how heavy can our hearts feel? We will miss her presence, there is no doubt about that, and at the same time, we know that she has done her work, and the baton has to pass on to others who can build on her legacy and carve out new frontiers. This Wednesday, I met Sandy at the office. She walked over to my desk, and we were chatting about her plans post-retirement – the many places she is scheduled to visit, relax and explore, and of course the quality time she gets to spend with family. She has it all worked out, and we wish her good health, ample rest, and overflowing happiness in everything she wishes to pursue in this next phase of her life.

Oprah Winfrey, in her 2013 Harvard commencement address, beautifully captured the essence of retirement when she said “ Your legacy is every life you’ve touched.”. I think in Sandy’s case, this is true. She has touched the lives of many Niitians and beyond, and those who were fortunate to be touched by her will remember the integrity she brought to her work, her passion, her steadfastness of purpose, and above all her grace and charm permeated everything she did.